Richard W. Ojakangas grew up on glacial till in Warba, Minnesota. He received a bachelor's degree in geology from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and a doctorate from Stanford in 1964. He taught at the University of Minnesota-Duluth for thirty-eight years and is the author of numerous articles and other publications on geology, including "Minnesota's Geology". Dick lives with his wife, Beatrice, in Duluth and celebrates his Finnish heritage whenever he gets the chance.